Need 15" Lightweight Gaming Laptop $1400

[Fahrrad]

I will be using this computer for college so I would like it to be under 5 pounds preferably. I will use it for engineering programs, Minecraft, video editing, and probably some other occasional gaming.
Budget: $1000-1400
These are my requirements:
1080p Screen (Prefer IPS)
Weight: Under 5 pounds
Dedicated GPU (640m or better)
i5 or i7
More than 5 hours of battery life

Laptops I'm currently considering(Please suggest more!):

Vaio: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834127684
Vizio: http://store.vizio.com/cn15a2.html
Macbook: http://apple.com/
Thanks everyone!

[Dragoninjassassin]

Have you looked at the MSI GE60?
Newegg.com - MSI G Series GE60 0ND-042US Notebook Intel Core i7 3610QM(2.30GHz) 15.6" 8GB Memory DDR3 1600 750GB HDD 7200rpm DVD Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M

Price: $1,199
Processor: i7-3610QM
GPU: 660M
Weight: 5.28lb
Screen: 15.6" 1080p matte (non-reflective)
HDD: 750GB

Not sure about the battery life but that all depends on usage. It does have a 6-cell 49Wh battery though.
The GE60 also has a steelseries keyboard and dynaudio speaker.

I hope this is somewhat helpful.

[Fahrrad]

Have you looked at the MSI GE60?
Newegg.com - MSI G Series GE60 0ND-042US Notebook Intel Core i7 3610QM(2.30GHz) 15.6" 8GB Memory DDR3 1600 750GB HDD 7200rpm DVD Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M

Price: $1,199
Processor: i7-3610QM
GPU: 660M
Weight: 5.28lb
Screen: 15.6" 1080p matte (non-reflective)
HDD: 750GB

Not sure about the battery life but that all depends on usage. It does have a 6-cell battery though.
The GE60 also has a steelseries keyboard and dynaudio speaker.

Thanks! That's definitely an option that I was not aware of. It's surprising light for a GTX 660M. I will consider it in my chart!

[Fahrrad]

The MSI only has a single touch trackpad, which may not work well with Windows 8, but isn't a deal breaker

[Dragoninjassassin]

Is weight a major concern? Or would something that weighs 6.2lb still be reasonable?

[Fahrrad]

Is weight a major concern? Or would something that weighs 6.2lb still be reasonable?

I would have to say no to 6lbs... For example, although the Ideapad Y580 is an awesome deal and was on my list, but I took it off because of its weight of 6lbs. But with the deal going on now, a Ideapad with GTX 660m and i7 and 1080p is like 950 dollars. I will be carrying the laptop I get around every day on my back for 4 years or more on campus.

[Dragoninjassassin]

I would have to say no to 6lbs... For example, although the Thinkpad Y580 is an awesome deal and was on my list, but I took it off because of its weight of 6lbs. But with the deal going on now, a Thinkpad with GTX 660m and i7 and 1080p is like 950 dollars. I will be carrying the laptop I get around every day on my back for 4 years or more on campus.

That is exactly what I was talking about. The Lenovo IdeaPad Y580. It is definitely a good deal at the moment for like $1000.

[Dragoninjassassin]

My current laptop (which is old and I plan on replacing soon) is about 6lb and it isn't bad when I carry it in a backpack. It is only really a pain when it is in a messenger bag.

[Fahrrad]

Thanks for all your help man. I tried out my dads 5.2lb laptop in my backpack and I feel like I should stick to 5 pounds or less. I could get more graphics performance for 6lbs, but I don't want to waste a lot of time gaming anyway. I think that the lightness will pay off every day.

[Dragoninjassassin]

No worries man. Just trying to help out someone on the hunt for a new laptop (like myself). Lighter would definitely be the way to go if you don't plan on doing too much gaming. Will you be using it much at night or in the dark? The GE60 doesn't have a backlit keyboard, and that is something I know I use a lot on my laptop.